Warning for gore and disturbing imagery
The atmosphere in the prison was suffocating. Cheng Wang's expression was faltering; his face had lost all color. Just as he was struggling to maintain his composure, Xiao Yan changed the subject.
"In your bid for the throne all those years ago, you deceived the Rong family, tricking their daughter into marriage to exploit their influence while secretly keeping ties with the aristocracy."
"You had an illicit affair with someone from the Lu family, conspired to produce a child to replace the Rong bloodline, and intended to use that as leverage. You planned to secure the Rong family’s inheritance and claim to the throne while negotiating terms with the Lu family. But before you could act, the Lu family had already thrown their lot in with the Emperor."
Cheng Wang froze. For a moment, he thought Xiao Yan knew everything.
So... he didn’t know the full truth.
Relief washed over Cheng Wang, but he dared not show it. Instead, he feigned shock and remorse, his face twisting in exaggerated panic.
"How... how did you find out?!" he exclaimed, as if his secret had been uncovered by accident.
Xiao Yan’s voice was icy. "So my guess was correct? Who is Xie Yin’s birth mother?"
Cheng Wang gritted his teeth. "You’ll never find out!"
Xiao Yan smirked. "You think I can’t? Lu Chongyuan has fully allied himself with the Fourth Prince, supporting the Emperor’s chosen heir. If someone within the Lu family helped you in secret, I only need to question the Empress to learn the truth."
Cheng Wang’s heart raced with elation, but he feigned outrage, glaring at Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan, I’ve told you everything you wanted to know! Why do you insist on driving me to ruin? You mustn’t involve the Empress. I can help you expose Hou Rui and the others!"
"No need," Xiao Yan said coolly. "I’m more interested in the Lu family now."
Watching Cheng Wang’s feigned panic give way to barely concealed relief, Xiao Yan turned to Changlang. "Finish what you started. Leave him alive, but only just."
"Xiao Yan!" Cheng Wang’s anger flared for real this time. "You said if I confessed, you wouldn’t use torture—"
"When did I ever say that?" Xiao Yan interrupted.
"You just... you said—"
"What did I say?" Xiao Yan asked, tilting his head. His calm demeanor was almost mocking. "All I did was tell you about the methods we use in the Judicial Office. When did I promise you anything?"
Cheng Wang’s face went ashen as the realization hit him—Xiao Yan had never agreed to spare him from torture. From the start, it had all been a trap.
"Xiao Yan, you eunuch scum! You’re shameless!" Cheng Wang roared, his voice cracking. Struggling against his restraints, he lunged toward Xiao Yan but was immediately pinned back by Changlang.
"Proceed," Xiao Yan ordered, turning to leave.
"Xiao Yan, you bastard! You dare humiliate me like this?! You wretched eunuch! No wonder you’ll leave no heirs!"
"You’ll regret this—mark my words! You’ll die a horrible death!"
Cheng Wang’s curses echoed through the chamber, but they were soon drowned out by his screams as Changlang resumed the torture. Xiao Yan’s expression remained impassive as he walked out, pausing only to address the guard at the door. "Fetch the young lady."
The guard nodded and left. Moments later, Tang Ning arrived, her steps hesitant. She stopped at a distance and softly called, "Brother."
Xiao Yan didn’t notice the uncertainty in her eyes. He merely motioned for her to wait.
The screams behind the heavy door grew louder, then gradually weakened. The scent of blood seeped through the cracks, filling the air with a metallic tang. It was a chilling scene, made even more haunting by the faint shadows cast on the window by the flickering lamplight.
Xiao Yan approached her, drawing a small sachet from his sleeve and holding it out.
Tang Ning instinctively stepped back, but then hesitated. "What is this?"
"A medicine pouch. It neutralizes the smell of blood and calms the nerves," he said, placing it in her hand. "If it’s too much for you, just take a whiff."
Tang Ning stared at the delicate sachet. Its intricate embroidery depicted blooming begonia flowers, stitched with threads of gold and silver. The light herbal fragrance masked the overwhelming stench of blood. Xiao Yan’s tall figure, now standing protectively before her, also blocked the grotesque shadows on the window.
He didn’t fear blood or gore, and such an item was clearly not something he would use himself.
Tang Ning pressed her lips together. The distance she had begun to feel between them wavered, her resolve to retreat suddenly shaky.
"What’s wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," she replied, lifting the sachet to her nose and pretending to hide her face.
The door creaked open a moment later. Changlang emerged, dragging Cheng Wang behind him. The prince’s legs dangled limply, leaving a trail of blood on the ground. His hands were bloodied stumps, his fingers nowhere to be seen.
Changlang tossed him back into his cell, where he collapsed with a sickening thud. Blood pooled around him, soaking into the dirt floor.
Xiao Yan glanced at Tang Ning. "Do you want me to go?"
Tang Ning shook her head. "I’ll go."
She accepted the ornate box Xiao Yan handed her and stepped into the cell.
Cheng Wang flinched at the sound of footsteps. His trembling body curled tighter.
"Aunt sent me to see you," Tang Ning said gently as she crouched beside him. Her voice was calm, but her words were laced with an edge. "She asked me to deliver a gift on her behalf."
She set the box within his reach and opened the lid. Without another word, she stood and walked away, leaving Cheng Wang staring after her in confusion.
The cell door slammed shut behind her, leaving him alone in the dim, blood-soaked cell.
The box, an ominous red in the faint light, lay near him, its contents hidden in shadow. The overwhelming stench made his stomach churn, but curiosity gnawed at him.
Don’t look. Don’t touch.
Cheng Wang’s breathing grew heavier as he tried to convince himself to ignore it. But the box seemed to exert an almost magnetic pull. Finally, unable to resist, he leaned closer.
Inside, something dark and unrecognizable lay nestled. The smell hit him first—a putrid, nauseating stench. His heart leapt into his throat as he realized what it was: a mangled mass of flesh.
"Ahhhhh!" Cheng Wang screamed in horror, flinging the box across the cell. The grotesque lump landed on him, smearing blood across his chest.
"Get it off! Get it off!" he shrieked, clawing at the air in a desperate attempt to rid himself of the object. He fell to the ground, dragging his broken body into a corner, trembling violently.
The lump of flesh, disturbingly childlike in shape, seemed to grin at him through the blood.
============
You can read ahead to chapterr 234 (100+ extra chapters) here
Comments
Post a Comment